Against the UMass stickmen today at 3 p.m., coach Bruce Munro is hoping that the spring heat wave that has incubated eight-man crew shells, red sox, and marathoners will somehow hatch his embryonic Harvard offense, which has averaged only four goals a game through six losses.

An upset of the Minutemen on the B-School field would up the Crimson's fifth-place rating in the New England lacrosse poll, in which the stickers must finish fourth or higher to earn a playoff berth. UMass (4-1) is rated second, behind Brown, as of yesterday.

Noting that UMass is "one of the best around" in recruiting, Munro said, "Year after year they've had potent midfielders--where our weakness is."

So today Munro will be testing a new wrinkle on offense, with a 2-2-2 arrangement of attackers, similar to the game plan employed in extra-man situations. The normal distribution is 3-1-2.

Under the former plan, attackmen John Hagerty and Jim Quinn will stay behind the goal to feed cutters and to back up shots.

Screens and Picks

Attackman Steve Milliken and a midfielder--first-stringer Garth Ballantyne or second-stringer Richard Carey--will stand closest to the goal face, for possible quick-sticks, screens, and picks.

The remaining midfielders--Andy Anderson and Frank Gerold, first; Al Costello and Bob Frisbie, second--would retain their functions, as cutters and passers.

"We worked it in practice yesterday and got more people free and more opportunities to shoot," Munro said yesterday.

Munro noted that his second string had more experience with the arrangement and might be the only one to work it today. "We might try to keep the other team off-balance by using two different offenses," he said.